Sterilizing apparatus.



R. E. CAQL.

STEIRILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I3. 19";-

l w wa Patamedfiept. 3,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. E. CASE.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 13. I916.

Patented Sept. 3, 19118.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

To all'wkom'z'tmay concern: lBe it known that LRALPH- E. Chem-acids zeuot the United States,residing"at South I Norwalk, ,county of Fairfield,'and State or and exact description.

Ill-

acetate;

(lonnecticuhhave invented certain new and useful j Improvements" in sterilizing Appa ratus, ofwhich the following is a full, clear,

The invention which constitutes the sub- .ject matter of this applicationrelates to the art of sterilizing liquids, .More specifically the invention has to do with means for automatically'supplying a purifying chemical to a liquid in proportion to the amount of thc flow. To do this an electrolytic cell for the production of a purifying chemical iseniployed, the current. used in said cell being variably controlled by the quantity'of liquid passing through the conduit.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail diagrammatic View of one form of a complete apparatusembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a modified form of the control shown in- Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is still further modified form of the control.

Referring to the drawing in detail the reference numeral 10 designates an electrolytic cell for generating a sterilizing chemical such as chlorin, and in order to produce the chlorin I preferably employ a concentrated solution of sodium chlorid as the electrolyte. If an electric current be sent through the solution sodium appears at the cathode and chlorin at the anode. Under the ordinary conditions of electrolysis the sodium set free immediately acts upon the water, liberating hydrogen, and forming sodium hydroxid. With suitable arrangements, as

understood by those skilled in this art, to

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Patented Sept. 3, 119118.

animation iu ee mama, 191a. Serial N0. 83,711.

I to which it is connected by the rod 17. The Qfloat rod 17 may instead be connected to the spring arm 18 of the exciter field.

In any event thecurrcn't flowing through the cell is ,goy'ernedfby the position of the float. The height ofthe water in the receptacle l9, and

q Kin where Q represents the quantity of liquid passing through the receptacle, K a constant, and H the height of the liquid in the receptacle 19. On the other hand if an ordinary orifice be employed the steps of resistance are varied so that the current flowing through the electrolytic means will be proportional to the quantity of liquid flow. In this way, that is by the rising and falling of the float, any number of resistances may be cut out or brought into the circuit, and the quantity of chlorin or other chemical pro duced will be directly proportional to the quantity of water flowing through the pipe cell to the liquid flowing through pipe 20.

Fig. 2 shows a modified form in which a Venturi tube 23 is employed to control an electrical device similar to that shown in Fig. 1. The spring arm 24: is connected to the rod 25 which is in turn connected to a diaphragm 26 located in the housing 27, the position of which diaphragm and therefore the rod 25 and arm 24 is dependent upon the difference in'pressure above and below said diaphragm and this is determined, through the instrumentality of the pipes 28 and 29 connected to the Venturi tube, by the quantity of water flowing through said tube, the arrangements and adjustments being such that the amount of sterilizing agent produced is proportional to the amount of water flowing. Connected to the pipe 20 is also a conduit 21 for the chlorin or other sterilizing agent to which-a pump or aspirator 22 is connected to force the sterilizing agent produced in cell 10 into the said pipe 20.

and close hydraulic valves which, for 111- stance, admit water to filters in a filter lant.

In connection with the various motifications illustrated, it will be noted and understood that immediately upon the cessation of the liquid flow the circuit through which the current passes is automatically broken and no further purifying chelnical is produced until the liquid flow is resumed. In Figs. 1 and 2 the circuit'is broken by the arms 15 and 2t being disconnected from the rheostat 14.. In Fig. 3 this happens when the .lever 31 is closed, said lever provided with any suitable connection to the arm 30 for that purpose.

Any suitable or well known means may be employed to maintain the concentration and the temperature of the electrolyte constant. I urthermore any of the levers 15, 24; and 30 may be provided with automatically controlled contacts to independently or simultaneously put in service one or more electro l vtic cells.

that I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for stcrilizin liquids, comprising a conduit through w iich the liquid to be sterilized is adapted to flow, in combination with an electrolytic means for the production of a purifying chemical, means for conveying the chemical from said electrolytic means to said conduit as it is produced, means for automatically breaking and making the circuit of the electrolyzer upon the cessation and resumption'of liquid flow through said conduit, and means for varying the quantity of chemical produced in proportion to the amount of liquid passing through said conduit.

2. In an apparatus for sterilizing liquids,

comprising a conduit through which the liquid to be sterilized is adapted to flow, in combination with an electrolytic means for the production of a purifying chemical, means for conveying said chemical to said liquid as it. is produced, and means for. automatically controlling the production of the chemical in proportion to the quantity of liquid passing through said conduit.

3. In an apparatus for sterilizing liquids, comprising a conduit through which the liquid to be sterilized is adapted to flow, in combination with an electrolytic means for automatically regulating the production of a chemical in proportion to the liquid passing through said conduit, and means for forcing said chemical as it is produced into the liquid passing through said conduit.

-l. In an apparatus forsterilizin'g liquids, a conduit througlrwhich the liquid is adapted to flow at varying speeds, an electrolytic means for producing a purifying chemical to be added to said liquid, means for conveying said chemical to said liquid as it is produced, and means actuated by the flow of liquid for controllin the amount of purifying chemical addec thereto comprising mechanism which carries the field of the generator supplying current to the electrolytic cell in such a way that the amount of purifying chemical produced will be propor tional to the amount of liquid flowing through said conduit.

5. In an apparatus for sterilizinv liquids, comprising a conduit through w ich the liquid to be sterilized is adapted to flow, in combination with an electrolytic means for automatically regulating the production of a chemical in proportion to the quantity and by the flow of the liquid passing through said conduit, and means for conveying said chemical to said liquid as it is produced.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

RALPH E. CASE. 

